Major Commercial Building Fire Friday Night in Northwest Rochester

(KROC AM News) -- The Rochester Fire Department spent most of the night and early Saturday morning hours combating a serious commercial building fire at Werkstatt European Auto Service in northwest Rochester.

Photo courtesy: Rochester Fire Dept

According to a report issued by the Rochester Fire Department, the 9-1-1 call center started receiving calls shortly before 11 o’clock Friday night regarding the smell of something burning in the air. Without a specific location, firefighters and Rochester police had to search the area before discovering heavy smoke seeping out the west side of the building located at 533 6th Avenue Northwest.

However, when firefighters were beginning to enter the building, a portion of the roof collapsed. The fire had obviously been burning for sometime, according to Deputy Chief Steve Belau so they had to combat the blaze from the outside. Belau said all on-duty firefighters were called in.

The complex affected consists for four businesses but they were able to keep the fire from spreading. Belau noted there were no fire alarm systems or sprinklers in these buildings.

Fortunately there were no injuries in the blaze that took two hours to bring under control, but a crew remained at the scene through the morning hours and the Rochester Fire Marshall’s Office was on the scene investigating the cause and origin of the blaze.

Preliminary damage estimates are expected to exceed $700,000. Belau said it’s possible the structural damage was so severe, the building may have to be demolished.

Until further notice, 6th AVE NW will be narrowed to two travel lanes with no parking on the east side because of the risk of the east wall of the building collapsing.